The next morning feels too bright for the kind of trouble I'm about to walk into.
Sunlight spills through the tall glass windows of the penthouse, soft and golden.
It looks peaceful.
But the energy in the air?
Not peaceful at all.
Wolves are awake.
Wolves are restless.
Wolves are curious about one thing:
Me.
A witch walking into a den of enemies… as their Alpha's wife.
I tie my hair into a loose braid, slip into a simple black outfit—comfortable, easy to move in, perfect for a witch pretending to be harmless.
A soft knock sounds at my door.
"Come in."
Ethan steps inside, looking tired but polished as always. "Good morning, Mrs. Black."
I raise an eyebrow. "Just call me Liyana."
His mouth twitches slightly. "Alpha's orders."
Of course.
I sigh. "Where's your alpha this morning?"
"Waiting downstairs in the car," Ethan replies. "He said to inform you that the drive will take two hours."
Two hours?
That's enough time for problems to grow legs and chase me.
But I nod. "Let's go."
The Car Ride
The elevator ride down is silent.
The doors open into the private basement.
Aiden stands beside a black SUV—lean, tall, dressed in a crisp black shirt and suit pants, sleeves rolled up, veins visible on his forearms.
He looks expensive, dangerous, and angry.
Not at me, probably.
At the universe for connecting us.
Ethan opens the back door for me. I slide in.
Aiden follows silently.
The car feels too small for the tension inside it.
Ethan sits in front. Kai is in the passenger seat.
The moment the car moves, Kai glances back, grinning.
"Well, well. The Alpha bringing his bride home. Historic day."
Aiden doesn't react.
But his thigh, inches from mine, tenses.
I look out the window, ignoring Kai's smirk.
"So," Kai continues, "the packhouse meeting will be… intense. They're all curious about the Luna."
I snap. "I'm not their Luna."
Kai smirks. "Try telling them that. They already prepare your welcome."
My stomach knots.
I'm being welcomed into the heart of the very pack that destroyed mine.
I force a calm expression. "And the Council?"
Aiden answers this time, voice steady and cold. "They agreed to a formal introduction first—no tests, no questions."
"Why?" I ask.
He looks at me. Really looks.
"Because no Council Elder wants to risk pissing off an Alpha whose wolf didn't sleep last night."
My breath catches.
Aiden's wolf didn't sleep…
because it was searching for me.
I look away before the bond reacts again.
Arriving at the Packhouse
After two hours of silent tension and Kai's annoying humming, the car enters a forested area.
The road narrows until towering pine trees surround us on all sides.
Then—
The packhouse appears.
A massive stone-and-wood structure, like a mansion carved into the forest.
Warm lights.
Balconies.
Large windows.
Wolves patrolling the outer grounds.
I feel their eyes on the car.
On me.
My magic twitches.
My pulse quickens.
Ethan opens my door. "Welcome to BlackMoon Packhouse."
The moment I step out, dozens of wolves on the grounds go silent.
Their gazes fall on me—some curious, some confused, some openly hostile.
Kai walks ahead, grinning at the wolves like the devil. "Behave, puppies. This is your Luna."
Murmurs ripple across the grounds.
I hiss, "Stop calling me that."
Kai winks. "Try complaining to them."
Aiden steps beside me, hand brushing dangerously close to my lower back.
Not touching.
But close enough that I can feel the heat of his skin.
A protective gesture he probably didn't even realize he made.
The pack notices.
Several wolves stiffen.
"Aiden," I whisper, "your people look ready to tear me apart."
He answers without looking at me, voice low and steady.
"They won't."
"Because I'm your wife?"
"No," he says. "Because they'd die before reaching you."
My heart jumps before I can stop it.
Inside the Packhouse
The entrance room is wide, wooden, warm.
Dozens of pack members stand in rows, waiting.
Men. Women. Wolves in human form.
Their eyes track me like prey entering their den.
A tall older woman steps forward, hair silver, eyes sharp.
"Alpha," she says with a formal bow.
"Elder Mira," Aiden acknowledges.
Her gaze drifts to me.
For a moment, I swear she sniffs the air near me like a wolf testing danger.
"Your… wife," she says. Not a question, not a welcome.
Aiden's voice sharpens. "Yes."
The elder's eyes turn unreadable. "Strange scent."
My pulse spikes.
Can she sense my magic?
Can she feel the Moonfire under my skin?
Aiden steps half a step closer to me.
Subtle, but unmistakable.
Everyone sees it.
Every wolf notes it.
"This is Liyana Black," Aiden says in a warning tone. "Treat her with respect."
Respect.
Interesting word.
Elder Mira dips her head stiffly. "Of course."
Her eyes lock onto mine.
Unblinking.
Cold.
"Come," she says. "The Council is waiting."
The Council Hall
The hall is circular with a high ceiling.
Seven tall chairs form a semi-circle.
Seven Elders.
All wolves.
All ancient.
All dangerous.
When I enter, the temperature drops.
Six pairs of eyes stare at me.
The seventh chair is empty.
Good.
Fewer problems to start with.
Aiden stands beside me, aura enormous and protective.
"Let's begin," Elder Mira says.
Another elder, a man with narrow eyes, speaks next:
"You caused a power fluctuation last night."
A ripple of shock runs through the room.
Wait.
They felt it all the way here?
"What fluctuation?" Aiden asks calmly.
The elder narrows his eyes. "A magical spike from the direction of your penthouse."
Another elder speaks sharply: "Power that strong only comes from witches."
The hall goes silent.
My heartbeat feels loud in my ears.
Elder Mira's gaze sharpens. "Yet your wife is human."
I keep my face calm. "Yes."
Kai coughs behind me.
Aiden shoots him a glare.
An elder speaks again. "We don't trust witches, Alpha. We didn't trust them eight years ago. We don't trust them now."
Aiden's wolf energy rises behind me like a silent threat.
I take a breath.
Time to speak.
"Then it's good that I'm not here to ask for your trust," I say.
Every elder blinks.
Confusion.
Annoyance.
Interest.
"You're here as the Alpha's Luna," one snaps.
"I'm here because of a contract," I correct softly. "Not because of destiny. Not because of bonds. And definitely not because I want your approval."
Aiden's head turns sharply toward me, eyes widening slightly.
He wasn't expecting me to confront the Council?
Surprise.
I don't need wolves to tell me how to stand.
"You are bold, girl," Elder Mira says stiffly.
I smile politely. "Or maybe you're too used to everyone bowing."
A couple of younger wolves gasp.
Kai grins like it's the best show of the day.
Aiden's energy tightens—anger? Pride? Panic?
I'm not sure.
One of the male elders leans forward. "If you have nothing to hide, offer your hand."
My stomach twists.
Hand.
Wolves check scents through touch.
If they touch me, they might feel:
– Moonfire
– Witch aura
– Aiden's wolf mixed with me from the bond spark
– And worse…
– That Aiden is reacting to me
Aiden's voice growls dangerously low. "She doesn't need to offer anything."
"She does," the elder snaps. "Pack safety demands—"
Aiden steps forward, wolf energy bursting through him.
"She is my wife," he growls.
"You do not touch her."
The entire hall goes silent.
Aiden doesn't raise his voice.
He doesn't need to.
His wolf speaks for him.
Elder Mira studies Aiden for a long moment.
Then she looks at me again.
Her voice lowers, softer but sharper.
"You smell like secrets, girl."
I meet her eyes steadily. "Good. Secrets are stronger than weapons."
Aiden shoots me a look—half warning, half disbelief.
Elder Mira finally leans back in her chair.
"This meeting is over."
I blink.
That's it?
Aiden takes my wrist and leads me out before anyone changes their mind.
We reach the hallway.
My pulse still racing.
Aiden doesn't let go of my wrist.
His grip is warm, firm, protective—and a little too tight.
"You," he says low, "are either very brave…"
I swallow. "Or very stupid, yes, I know."
His eyes darken, unreadable. "I was going to say dangerous."
Something flutters in my chest.
He steps closer, lowering his voice even more.
"Why did you stand up to them?"
"Because I'm not afraid of them," I whisper.
His breath brushes my cheek.
"And you're not afraid of me either."
I look straight into his storm-grey eyes.
"No."
Silence stretches.
Dangerous.
Warm.
Electric.
Aiden's thumb brushes the inside of my wrist—right over the Moonfire mark.
The bond pulses.
His breath catches.
Then—
A voice interrupts.
Soft.
Sweet.
Familiar to him.
"Aiden?"
A girl steps forward from the corner of the hall.
Pretty.
Pale.
Dressed in white.
Her eyes gentle.
Her smile soft.
White moonlight.
Aiden's past.
Aiden's weakness.
Aiden's almost-love.
I feel his grip loosen—just slightly.
His voice drops. "What… are you doing here?"
Mine goes cold.
Here she is.
The woman I didn't want to meet.
The woman Aiden once cared for.
The woman who might destroy everything.
She walks closer, eyes flicking to me with polite dismissal.
"I heard your wife arrived," she says sweetly. "I came to meet her."
Her gaze drags over me slowly.
Judging.
Evaluating.
Underestimating.
"I'm Serene," she says, offering a delicate smile.
"Alpha Aiden's chosen moonlight."
Aiden stiffens.
My fingers curl.
Oh.
This just got interesting.